The present invention relates to protective body armor of the soft and hard types designed to resist penetration by bullets, buckshot, pellets, shrapnel or other projectiles.
The main objective here is to provide a fabric capable of significant reduction in the so called xe2x80x9cblunt traumaxe2x80x9d effect leading to injury of the armor""s wearer. While the armor stops penetration of the projectile, it allows its kinetic energy to be transferred through the armor system directly to the body of the wearer as to cause injuries to the bone structure and internal organs.
This injury is described in the protective apparel industry as xe2x80x9cblunt traumaxe2x80x9d, which is correlated to the extent of inward deformation suffered by the armor as it is impacted by a projectile.
The armor itself is made from a plurality of layers of ballistic resistant material. The maximum extent of deformation accepted under industry standards is 1.73 inches as measured in the clay material used to simulate human flesh impacted by ballistic effect on the armor.
Various devices or materials have been designed to be worn under the body armor to absorb the impact of a projectile striking it and thus reduce the inward deformation and hence the blunt trauma, which would minimize or possibly eliminate any injury to the wearer. Such devices involve the use of foam, non-wovens, plastic honeycombs and other materials. Their main drawback is the lack of air permeability, which causes the wearer to perspire excessively and leads to avoidance of the body armor protection despite the hazards involved. In many cases, law enforcement officers refuse to wear their armor because of the acute discomfort induced by its impermeable components.
A three-dimensional knit spacer fabric for use in ballistic protective garments is provided. The fabric includes a first fabric layer made from high performance, high tenacity yarns; a second fabric layer of an open mesh construction to facilitate air circulation; and a plurality of high performance monofilament yarns inter-connecting the two layers.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a high performance, cost effective blunt trauma reduction fabric system which is comfortable to wear on account of its air permeability, perspiration absorptive qualities and pleasing tactile esthetics against the wearer""s body.
A further objective is to enhance, if required, the projectile stopping powers of the body armor as to reduce its thickness and weight.
Another objective is to provide cushioning and impact absorption when the wearer is involved in such hazardous situations as vehicle crashes, combat, falling debris, falls, etc., encountered in pursuit perpetrators, storming buildings or hideouts, or dealing with riots involving exposure to stoning or violent crowds.
Yet another objective is to provide a fabric system conforming to the contours of the wearer""s body in a snug, comfortable fit.
Finally, it is an objective to provide fabric which may be washed, or dry cleaned, while offering long term durability.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious, and in part apparent from the following description.